Regional road race championships round-up

Pedal Heaven RT secured a 1-2-3 in the South East Region Road Race Championships on Sunday, with second cat rider Dante Carpenter securing the biggest result of career so far by taking victory.

He claimed victory at Edenbridge in Kent by powering clear of breakaway rival and team-mate Jake Martin, while their elite colleague Dave Creeggan settled for third spot.

“I’ve raced in Belgium and won a few races over there, but this tops it,” said 18-year-old Carpenter, from Dorking. “I’m still missing some teeth from a training crash about a month ago, so this is really nice!”

Elsewhere, Madison-Genesis rider Liam Holohan proved strongest in the West Midlands title race, edging ahead of James Williamson (Node 4-Giordana) after a tough 83-mile route around Hanbury in Staffordshire.

Team Corley Cycles’ Michael Smith won the Central Championships at Little Milton, Oxfordshire, when he dodged a crash in the last 200 metres of the 89-mile race.

The 24-year-old took the verdict just ahead of AW Cycles’ Henry Latimer, and Smith said afterwards: “I’ve not had consistency for a long time because of work, but I had a week riding in Majorca two weeks ago which probably did me a favour and that’s coming through now.”

Team Raleigh were celebrating victory in the Yorkshire Championships near Harrogate, with Tom Moses securing the win at the end of a gruelling 85-mile race around the Penny Pot circuit.

He took the win by around ten seconds from Sportscover rival Tom Stewart, while Dean Downing (Madison Genesis) took third.

In the North East Championship, Achieve-Skinnergate Racing placed riders first and second, with Tom Timothy securing the biggest win of his career so far in the race at Whalton, Northumberland, on Sunday.

22-year-old Timothy was helped to victory by a strong group effort by the Achieve team, who chased down a break to keep their hopes of victory alive, and also took second spot thanks to Jack Rees.

“When the early move went up the road we got the whole team on the front,” said Timothy afterwards. “I felt good and we were working well to chase them down.”

Finchley RT’s Andrew Hastings took victory in the Eastern Championships after attacking just six miles from the finish and holding on for the win at East Hanningfield in Essex.

Hastings, who won the Bob Whitear Memorial Road Race a week earlier, said: “I’ve timed my form very well, or at least, my coach has – I wanted to win the championship so he’s geared everything around me being fresh for today and it’s worked a treat.”

And in the South Championship at Tidworth, Wiltshire, John Whittington (Diabetes UK) held off Oli Beckingsale (Endura MTB) for the win.

More British road race news and results in this week’s edition of Cycling Weekly magazine, on sale from Thursday